Volume 1 Chapter 24 Ice's Concerns
After completing the graduation exam safely, Ice had promised to tell Wade about her future dreams.
"...But, it's no good..."
Alone in the bathroom, Ice shook her head from side to side. What lingered in her mind was Wade overwhelming the Chimera.
He was truly overwhelming. He toyed with them, outmaneuvered them, and finally, he defeated them head-on.
She thought they were mismatched.
So, she couldn't even talk about her dream of wanting to be by his side forever.
"...What should I do?"
Having healed his wounds and somehow managed to break through the encirclement of graduating students crowding around them, Wade's party parted ways with Frain.
For now, the party continued, and there was some spare time since Clay had secured accommodations for three people.
Originally, he should have been grateful to Clay for being considerate, and they should have been enjoying chatting with Wade.
But when Ice reflected on Wade's strength and her own situation, she couldn't be as optimistic.
"..."
Ice, with trembling hands holding her head, felt like crying.
"I'm sure Wade-kun will continue to get stronger, stronger than ever."
She muttered.
"I, I'm still not strong at all. I can barely fight with just one magic spell because Wade-kun thought of me..."
She bit her lower lip.
"He's going to leave me behind. If things continue like this, he'll leave me behind...! What should I do. No. I don't want that. I want to be with Wade-kun forever. Always, always..."
Tears spilled from her eyes. It was just terrifying. Just the thought of it was sad. She understood that kind Wade, because of his kindness, was trying to distance himself from Ice.
"Wade-kun won't choose me. He'll surely head deeper into the dungeon. Someday, he'll distance himself from me just because it's dangerous."
If I stay weak.
Ice muttered quietly. Then, she tightened her grip on her head.
"―――I have to become stronger."
She bit her lip. Her teeth pierced slightly, and a trickle of blood dripped down.
"I have to get stronger... Stronger, stronger, so I won't be left behind by Wade-kun. So I can support Wade-kun... And then――"
To the point where she can become an enemy to Wade-kun, who has become too strong for anyone to match.
When those words came to her, Ice felt a strangely natural sense of acceptance. Quietly, she gazed at the magic seal engraved on her right hand.
"...Is that my role?"
When tracing the magic seal, new magic appeared. Saying "Ice Create" produced small ice in the hand.
But it wasn't just ordinary ice.
"...It's alive..."
Imagine. A more lifelike form. Imagine a snowman. It gradually became round, cute, small, and adorable.
"Kippi"
Then, the snowman cried out. "Waa!" Ice said, accepting the child.
"You're amazing, you have a will of your own...! Yeah, yeah... You can show me things, and uh, take one spell with you? That's amazing!"
With so much cuteness and joy for her own growth, Ice nodded vigorously with a big smile. Then, after a moment, she realized.
"...The problem with Ice Blow is that I have to get close, right?"
But if the snowman could do it instead, Ice could approach enemies without risk.
Moreover, this size is sufficient for mobility. It would be difficult to detect. It has intelligence, and even gathers information.
"..."
Ice trembled slightly. If her magic continued to grow stronger like this. And if she could entrust all of it to this snowman.
Instinctively, Ice dashed out of the toilet.
When Ice left for "a little business," Wade said, "Then prepare to exchange and share the loot." So, he must be in the guild.
Ice runs to the guild.
Many people in the city looked at Ice, who was sprinting with all his might, with strange eyes. But that doesn't matter. Because Ice's heart is overflowing with joy like a fountain.
So, Ice arrived at the guild without worrying about being in a new place and immediately searched for Wade.
Sure enough, Wade was a little away from the exchange counter, peering into a bag and counting its contents with his fingers.
Ice rushed over to Wade.
"Wade-kun!"
"Whoa!? Oh, it's just you, Ice. You scared me."
"Um, umm... Remember the secret I told you about, my dream?"
"Huh? Yeah... Even though you said it was a secret, is it okay to talk about it in public like this?"
"It's okay, it's different now!"
Ice pressed Wade for an answer. The surrounding adventurers looked over, curious about what was happening. But Ice didn't care about that anymore.
Because Ice's dream was no longer embarrassing—it was to always be by Wade's side.
"Wade-kun, I..."
But, this dream was not something to be easily shared with those around him.
"I want to make you happy... that's my dream..."
So Ice leaned in close to Wade's ear and whispered those words.
Wade blinked in confusion and replied, "Huh...what?" But that was okay. It didn't matter if Wade didn't understand the full extent of Ice's dream until the time came.
Wade enjoyed facing strong opponents in battles. Even though it wasn't mentioned by Ice or Clay during the Chimera battle, they both understood.
Surely, Wade would keep winning. And in the process, he would keep getting stronger and stronger.
Ice thought that someday, Wade would become too strong. The day would come when he would lose an enemy he could engage in battle with. And on that day, Wade would be struck by the misfortune of losing something precious to him.
Ice wanted to prevent that from happening.
"...I'm not really sure what to say in situations like this."
Despite Wade's lack of insight, he understood that these words carried some meaning, and he scratched his head awkwardly.
"T-thank you... Is it okay like this? Haha, sorry. I'm not used to this. I'm a little confused."
Watching Wade blush, Ice couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with affection. So, she put it into words.
"No... It's okay. It was sudden for me too. So, you know. You don't have to respond. Just be yourself, Wade-kun..."
"Uh, yeah... I don't really get it, but for now, I'll do that."
Wade nodded, and Ice nodded back. The jeers of "Don't be so lovey-dovey!" no longer reached Ice's ears.
―――Rest assured, Wade-kun. I will become stronger. Stronger and stronger, forever.
―――I'll become your enemy, so you can experience the inevitable happiness of losing an enemy someday.
Ice smiled deeply, deeply.
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